Busload of Books to visit Winfield

WINFIELD — Friday, Winfield-Mount Union Elementary hosts the Busload of Books Tour for their only stop in Iowa.

“WMU students will attend presentations by authors Robbie Behr and Matthew Swanson as they tour all 50 states in their bus with their four kids,” WMU Music Director Lindsey Pogmore said.

“They are going to share some of the ins and outs of writing and illustrating, answer some burning questions our students may have about what it takes to write and publish books, and provide books for ALL of WMU students,” she said.

At this moment, the Busload of Books Tour is making their way from South Dakota to Winfield.

According to the Busload of Books website, the tour is a yearlong project to promote literacy, celebrate America’s educators, and raise awareness of the challenges facing the nation’s public schools.

After three years of planning, throughout the 2022-23 school year Behr and Swanson will visit Title I schools in all 50 states and give away a total of 25,000 hardcover books.

Behr and Swanson began traveling in a converted school bus last month, and soon enough, Winfield will welcome them and their children (14, 12, 10, and 5).

Along with giving away books, the Busload of Books team also will conduct a research project with Washington College to collect data concerning reading, writing, drawing, and the benefit of speakers like themselves visiting schools.

The hope is that this research better equips schools to apply for funding for these kinds of literary efforts in the future.

Video-based versions of the tour presentations will be offered to any Title I educator.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com